The World Cup is behind us and Portugal’s surprise victory is a distant memory. Welcome to season two.

It’s a slow summer, a World Cup hangover is evidently in place and teams keep their cash to themselves, for a while. At Wimbledon, it’s fair to say things peaked with the signing of Rio before the World Cup, and I have to settle for poaching Man Utd’s youth again, this time Erik Nevland arrives to partner Sean Devine. Feel those season ticket sales increasing.

It gets to the week of the season and Barcelona move to buy one of the most valuable players in the market, Ortega making the move. Ominously, he turns down Man Utd meaning they are in for a striker to partner Alfonso. Still, they are obviously very serious about replacing Erik Nevland.

Other than Newcastle signing Gareth Southgate, the season starts and everybody is happy. Liverpool must be strong favourites after keeping hold of Fowler, however this could change it all:

5 days after missing out on Ortega, Fergie comes looking for Shearer again and this time, the answer is yes. Remarkably Man Utd have got him for cheaper than they could have done a few years earlier, but that’s a major injury for you. Alfonso & Shearer as a partnership is a fairly terrifying prospect.

There’s finally some managerial movement for the first time in a while and not yet Lord Sugar coins a catchphrase and fires Christian Gross

Spurs poach Gordon Milne from Birmingham, who in turn bring back the mullet and give Gerry Francis (former Spurs manager) the job, so we’ve gone full circle. Liverpool respond to Man Utd’s spending by getting their own cheque book out to bring Henrik Larsson to the Premier League a few years ahead of schedule

Interesting that Newcastle tried to take him to replace Shearer. Anyway, none of those transfers have a patch on this next one, future Fulham man Legwinski is off to the Bernabeu!

By the end of September, things are starting to take shape. The Wimbledon squad has had a few changes, but there’s a lot of the standard squad in there still.

Yes, that is a very young Robbie Keanie out on loan, and somebody actually wants Carl Cort. George Graham rolls back the years and takes manager of the month for September. Here’s the tables after 10 games

Good old Stoke, though when your player/manager is Neville Southall you’re taking a huge risk. Just look at these stats…

Until next time..